We tend to imagÂine old paintÂings as havÂing a mutÂed, yelÂlow-brown cast, and not withÂout reaÂson. Many of the examÂples we’ve seen in life realÂly do look that way, though usuÂalÂly not because the artist intendÂed it. As Julian BaumÂgartÂner of Chicago’s BaumÂgartÂner Fine Art RestoraÂtion explains in the video above, these paintÂings’ colÂors have changed over the decades, or in any case appeared to change, because of the layÂer of resin on top of them. When that kind of coatÂing is first applied, it actuÂalÂly makes the hues underÂneath look richÂer. As time passÂes, alas, chemÂiÂcal changes and the accuÂmuÂlaÂtion of dirt and grime can result in a dull, even sickÂly appearÂance.
“A lot of peoÂple say that the varÂnish should nevÂer be removed, “that that’s a patiÂna that is on the surÂface of the paintÂing and that it adds to the paintÂing’s qualÂiÂty: it makes the paintÂing look betÂter, it makes it look more seriÂous,” says BaumÂgartÂner.
“Those are all interÂestÂing opinÂions, but they’re all inacÂcuÂrate. If the artist wantÂed to apply a patiÂna to their paintÂing, they could apply a patiÂna and tone down the colÂors. But most artists, when they apply a varÂnish, do not enviÂsion that that varÂnish will ever become yelÂlow or brown, or will crack or become cloudy.” The idea is to get the colÂors back to how the artist would have seen them when the work first attained its finÂished state.
ThereÂin lies the difÂferÂence between a paintÂing and, say, a cast-iron skilÂlet. But on some levÂel, the actuÂal labor of cleanÂing a work of art — as BaumÂgartÂner demonÂstrates, sped-up, in the video — difÂfers less than one might imagÂine from that of cleanÂing a kitchen impleÂment. The result, howÂevÂer, can cerÂtainÂly be more strikÂing, espeÂcialÂly with a canÂvas like this one, whose twin-sisÂter subÂjects proÂvide an ideÂal means of showÂing the conÂtrast between colÂors long covÂered by varÂnish and those same colÂors newÂly exhumed. Though there now exist forÂmuÂlas that don’t turn yelÂlow in quite the same way, more than a few artists stick to the clasÂsic damar varÂnish, which does have advanÂtages of its own — not least keepÂing a few more genÂerÂaÂtions of conÂserÂvaÂtors in busiÂness.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The Art of RestorÂing a 400-Year-Old PaintÂing: A Five-Minute Primer
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
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